The White Room
by Ferris Ulf
Summary: They've always known the truth about one another...haven't they? Or is there something more to an enemy than meets the eye? How the Yugioh saga Should have ended


Greetings everyone! I think I shall make this pg...not sure where it fits so ya...

This is a one-shot. Who's in it? Our three dear yamis of course!

Malik: Ooooh! Do finally get my revenge on the pharaoh?

Ferris: Uh...no.

Bakura: Do I get to win his puzzle?

Ferris: Uh...no.

Yami: Do I get to banish them both for all eternity?

Ferris: -.o...(smiles pleasantly at readers) Let's get this started, neh?

yamis: -.-;

**NOTE: **This story is done in Yami's POV.

_**Karma**_

_By seeking peace inside ourselves_

_We find our inner strength_

_That pushes us to do our best_

_And awaken dreams that sank._

_By finding peace inside ourselves_

_We can view the world so clear_

_We will tend to others' hurts_

_And show them we are near._

_By bringing peace into our minds_

_We will feel so alive._

_We won't be angry anymore_

_But find the will to survive._

**The White Room**

I clench and unclench my fists, fingernails digging through the flesh of my palms. There is not blood though. Not now. There's no heartbeat.

I glance around the small white room. There are pure white chairs that feel like wood lined around the perimeter. There are two doors in the room. The white door is the one that everybody enters through. They file in one at a time. It's hard to tell the length of time one has been here. There is no time here. No clocks on the wall. One man who'd been here earlier had reached into his pocket only to find his watch had vanished.

The other door is black; the knob shining almost uncannily like some lead stone crafted to the uttermost perfection. Everyone leaves through that door. No one comes back.

The only other person in the room at the moment sits in a chair across from mine, hands twitching. His face is covered in a scruffy brown beard, graying hair poking out from under his olive green cap from every which-way.

"How long have you been here?" he asks voice gravelly and trembling.

I don't respond, eyes fixed on my hands in my lap. He starts tapping his feet on the floor. I grit my teeth wishing I could kill him. But someone's already beaten me to it. Damn.

"I'm Ralph. Job_less _in the _US, _as I used to say," he continues laughing nervously to himself.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes knowing any such movement will show him I'm listening. That'd only encourage him. He gets up, fidgeting as he starts to pace in a small circle. His shoes are filthy. But every time so much as a speck of dirt drops off it disappears the second it comes in contact with the floor.

We both turn our heads when the white door opens noiselessly. My throat drops to my stomach when I spot the wild white hair and slanted brown eyes. _Bakura_.

"Hey there! Welcome! Welcome!" Ralph smiles nervously, stepping toward the psycho.

Bad move. In an instant the man's cowering back, holding a trembling hand to the side of his face. It didn't hurt him. Nothing hurts here. Just shock, I should think. The thief saunters over and plops down in the chair directly across from mine. I scowl, turning back to staring at my hands. It figures I'd wind up in the same room as him. Fate sucks.

"What are you waiting for?" a gruff voice asks.

I glare at the other yami whose face—to my surprise—holds a somewhat curious look. His eyes are studying me, almost penetrating my being.

"I beg your pardon?" I grumble.

He frowns. "I asked what you're waiting for."

"And?"

He sighs in exasperation. "So why the hell are you waiting? They're no doubt anticipating your arrival. Trumpets blowing, people cheering and falling prostrate…"

I roll my eyes. "You make it sound like something I should be looking forward to, thief. Of course, I suppose it's better than where _you're_ headed."

He sits up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I scowl. "Don't play innocent. We both know the things you've done throughout the millennia. You should have foreseen such an end for yourself at some point and time."

He doesn't answer, averting his gaze from mine. It's impossible to describe the emotions playing across his face. For some unknown reason I feel drawn to him. But why? We've been enemies for thousands of years. Perhaps it's just plain curiosity now. It doesn't mean I hate him any less.

"Why did you do it?" I ask before I can stop myself. "Even in the future times you pursued me, using my friends as pawns in your sick games. We were given a second chance at life…and you missed it."

He still doesn't respond, eyes focused on the floor. I can see his fingers digging into the arms of the chair, entire body trembling. Perhaps he's finally seen what a waste of an existence he's had. It's sad really.

I sigh, giving up and turning to the black door that Ralph is hovering near. His eyes are wide as he stares at it in mute fear and fascination. Bored, I slouch down in my seat, tracing the lines on my palm with my finger.

"Hey! It won't open!"

Bakura and I glance over at the other who's frantically trying to open the door, pushing and pulling on it. His shaking, mud-caked hands are gripping the handle, twisting it back in forth in panicked motions.

"It won't OPEN!" the man repeats as if we hadn't heard him the first time.

"It's not your time yet, fool," the thief mutters, turning back to staring at the floor.

Ralph turns, panting. "What?"

I sigh. "It won't open for you until you're ready."

His brow creases with uncertainty. "Ready for what?"

I shrug, going back to ignoring him. Bakura snorts, drumming his fingers on his knees. I glance at his chest where the ring no longer rests. Unconsciously I reach up to touch the puzzle around my neck; my fingers meeting the material of my shirt.

"Different, isn't it?"

I snap my head up to find Bakura watching me with his dark brown eyes. He smirks at my questioning look.

"Not having the items," he adds.

I frown. "It's rather nice actually. I don't have to worry about you and all the other psychos of the world continuously bothering me for it."

He narrows his eyes. "Is that all I was to you? A bother?"

I internally smirk, knowing I've hit a nerve. "Must be hard knowing you've done nothing but aggravate people your whole existence, hmm?"

He glares murderously and I chuckle. It serves him right after all he's done.

"What was that?" I ask when he mutters something inaudible.

"I said maybe you deserved it," he snarls.

I sigh heavily. "Look, let's get some things straightened out once and for all." He looks at me dubiously, so I add, "It's not like we're going anywhere fast."

He watches me uncertainly for a moment. Then he folds his arms across his chest, leaning back. I take this as a sign that he's willing enough to listen.

"My father had your village destroyed and massacred your people. It was a despicable act, sacrificing their souls in order to create the Millennium items." I can see the anger boiling in his eyes as I speak. "I'm sorry for this and any other pain he may have caused you, but that doesn't excuse you taking out your hatred on me and countless innocents throughout history."

We stare at one another in silence. He doesn't respond. Near the black door Ralph is fidgeting uncomfortably, unnerved even more than before at what I've said; the words "massacred" and "sacrificing" no doubt sticking in his mind. I sigh.

"Forget it," I mutter turning away from the thief.

"You don't know what it was like."

I turn back to find Bakura staring at me adamantly, hatred visible in his features.

"No. No I don't. And even if you described it to me in the most gruesome of details I still wouldn't be able to completely understand. But it might help," I reply quietly.

His eyes are pain-filled, body quaking. I notice the wrenching feeling in my chest as I stare at him, waiting.

"Tell me," I hear my voice say softly.

He shakes his head, eyes closed tight. I stare at him in shock when he leans forward, burying his face in his hands. I've never seen him like this before. He's always been so in control. I clear my throat, shifting uncomfortably in my chair.

"There had to be someone," he whispers hoarsely. "He died…before I could…there had to be someone to get revenge on…"

He's suddenly looking at me. I notice for the first time how worn his face has become. There are dark shadows under his eyes. His skin is wan, pasty. I can't even imagine what it would be like to trail someone for thousands of years, knowing you most likely would never avenge the deaths of your loved ones. We both sit quietly for Ra knows how long. I guess it doesn't matter seeing as how there is no time here. The white door opens.

"YOU!" a voice shrieks.

The next thing I know Bakura's struggling to pull an enraged Malik off me. I blink in shock, sitting up slowly. Bakura rams the other psycho into the wall, holding him against it.

"Get a hold of yourself!" the white-haired yami snarls.

The thief tumbles to the floor as Malik slams a fist across his face. Ralph starts screaming, turning and clawing desperately at the black door as if that will make it open. Malik dives at me again, knocking me flat on my back. He straddles my chest, punching me repeatedly in the face. He blinks in surprise when he realizes it doesn't seem to be affecting me. Next he wraps his fingers tightly around my throat, cutting off my wind pipe. I stare up at him passively.

"Don't you get it yet?" I hear Bakura's voice mutter, Malik's eyes widening as he's suddenly yanked off me.

The blonde yami sits on the floor, light violet orbs studying me in disbelief. I sigh, sitting up yet again. Bakura's standing over the two of us, arms akimbo.

"How…how did you do that?" Malik growls at me.

"We're dead you moron," Bakura grumbles, turning and slumping down in the nearest chair.

"What?" Malik exclaims

"Dead. It's something that happens to mortals…"

"I know what it means!" Malik snaps furiously. "I just didn't know _we_ could die…"

The thief and I look at one another and shrug. It is a bit surprising I suppose. The Millennium items concealed our souls for so long. Why now? Ah well. That question's pretty irrelevant now…

"Well we have so you'd better hurry it up and get used to the idea," Bakura mumbles leaning back in his chair.

"So where are we?" the blonde presses, seeming to have realized there's no point in trying to throttle me again.

"Waiting room," I reply simply.

"A waiting room for what?"

I shrug. "Depends on the individual."

A look of dread slowly passes over his face. I almost feel sympathy. But no. I have pity for Bakura now. But _Malik_? Hell no. He's a complete bastard who murdered his host's father…well, since he's only Marik's other personality I suppose it was his father as well.

"You seem pretty confident that Malik and I are going to eternal damnation," Bakura suddenly sneers. "But tell me, pharaoh, what is it that drove Malik and I so?"

I sigh. "_You_ might have a chance, tomb robber. You were…there was a point to your madness. I see that now.

Malik glares. "Oh so _I'm_ the psychopath now?"

Bakura's silent, a look of utter bewilderment playing across his demonic features. I suppose he wasn't expecting me to say that. I turn to the blonde who looks ready to murder me…except he can't.

"You've done nothing but needlessly harming and murdering people," I growl, confident. "Trying to kill even your own hikari…murdering his father…"

Malik chuckles darkly. "He deserved such an ending. He abused and brainwashed Marik and the rest of them. It was a cult down there. Locking children underground, forbidding them to so much as glance at the upper world…carving 'scriptures' into their backs with flaming hot metal rods…Is that something you would have allowed? What am I saying…**You** ordered it!" he shrieks.

I stare at him with wide eyes. They did that? How…? I close my eyes for a moment, imagining what that kind of life would have been like.

"Malik, I…I didn't know," I whisper, opening my eyes and staring into his angry ones.

"What?" he hisses narrowing his violet eyes.

"I said I didn't know you were treated like that," I say softly staring at him in a new light. He went through that hell?

"…that's not possible. You ordered it to be done by the Ishtar family down through the centuries until your return…" Malik whispers weakly, body quivering.

"I swear to you now: I ordered no such thing," I reply.

"He has his memories now, Malik," Bakura states simply from his chair.

Malik and I stare at one anther in stunned silence as if seeing one another for the first time. It's similar to what Bakura and I did just before he came in. The blonde yami and I jump slightly when Bakura stands.

"It's time," he says simply turning and walking towards the black door.

Ralph cowers away eyeing the thief with wide frightened eyes. Malik and I both stand tensely as Bakura grabs the doorknob, turning momentarily to look at us. He's smirking, not arrogantly like he usually does. There's a different gleam in his eyes than before.

"Later," he grins opening the door and leaving. It closes instantly behind him, a silence deafening the room.

'Later.'

Asmile slowly spreads across my face. There's hope for him. I know there is. There's a reason the three of us were brought here. We had to find out the truth about one another. No matter where we're each going we've all changed from the people we were when we entered the room. For the better. What's Ralph doing here? I've no idea.

"Well," I sigh. "I think I'd better be heading off too."

Malik nods but sits down in a chair. He smirks at my questioning expression, leaning back comfortably.

"I'm not ready yet," he states simply.

I smile, nodding. I understand. He needs more time. And he has as much as he needs seeing how there isn't any. (as odd as that statement is) I turn and approach the door. If I still had a heart I'm sure it'd be pounding. My hand pauses on the doorknob. I close my eyes momentarily. I'm scared. I'll admit it.

"See you soon, Pharaoh."

I twist slightly to find Malik smirking at me, violet eyes relaxed and at peace. _Finally_. I nod, smiling in return before opening the door and walking through.

* * *

Woot! Yet another one-shot complete! I'm almost done with chapter 9 of Son of Apophis! Woot woot! So yes, as soon as Cry of the Wicked is all posted I'll be starting to put that one on the site for you lovely peoples! It's gonna be rated M. (M for Mwahahaha!)...ahem...

(sighs heavily) All right. I've got something to admit to you all. (hangs head in shame) I had this cool idea for a story so...I've started another one...(bangs head on desk) Why do I do this to myself? As if I don't have enough stress going on in my life already! Meh! Ah well...It's gonna be so awesome! (giggles with glee)

Review, my lovlies!


End file.
